Batman: Arkham Origins
The Dark Knight returns for a third game, one not made by Rocksteady and evidently not important enough to even get a next-gen release, and is also a prequel. I don't need to tell you that Arkham Asylum and City are two of the best games that what is now last gen had to offer, but is Origins truly worth your time? Story Arkham Origin's story is where it shines, with well-crafted cutscenes and well-written dialogue, story-wise Origins contains some of the best moments the series has to offer. While it isn't really an origin story for Batman specifically it does go into the origins of some more interesting character relationships. It does conflict a bit with Asylum and City but I can over-look those conflicts because honestly I like Origins's version better. One of the main issues I had with it is how they made a big deal out of the eight assassins, and while you'd think they'd all be a part of the story, two of them, Deadshot and Shiva, are only side-missions, the Shiva one boring and unremarkable and the Deadshot one... well, I never even found it. Gameplay Experience "More of the same" doesn't do it justice, it can barely be constituted to "more." Almost everything is a reskin of something from Arkham City, from the Deadshot dlc character being a lazy copy of Robin without the bullet shield, to massive sections of the game's over-world, to the same side-missions, gameplay-wise this is Arkham City with Shock Gloves, Martial Artist enemies, and a far less interesting and compelling open world to explore. Arkham City had far more life to it then Gotham City does in Origins, and despite being the actual city evidently it's just as goon populated as Arkham City was. Arkham City had more civilians out and about then Gotham does, with only a half-hearted explanation of a curfew to explain it. Ultimately the game still works because Arkham still has some of the best combat and stealth you're going to experience, but expect nothing new and if anything expect worse. On the plus side, the boss battles are actually well-designed and are the best the series has ever had, strangely enough in contrast to the quality of everything else. Multiplayer For once I feel like the included multiplayer wasn't just a publisher senselessly demanding it, it actually seems to have spawned as a rather good idea. A third person shooter where the twist is Batman and Robin are working in the background to take the players out as well. While a good idea it ultimately falls flat thanks to a poor combat system. While Batman and Robin are fun to play, playing as an actual goon as you will most of the time is rather dull, with poor handling and unsatisfying weapons, with Batman and Robin becoming more of an annoyance then a fun addition to the gameplay. There also is only two game modes and four maps, so even if you take a liking to it don't expect to play for long. This mode can safely be ignored when it comes to making your final purchasing decision. Conclusion Pros *Well-written story *Best boss fights in the series *Batman Arkham combat *Batman Arkham Stealth Cons *Poorly made and dull open-world *More of the same to a ludicrous degree *Generally not as fun as either of it's predecessors *Multiplayer is pretty much worthless Final Recommendation If you are a fan of the previous games you'll probably still want to check this out, but only do so at a discounted price or as a rental. It works but is very clearly low-effort, it's well-made story really being the only thing that saves it. Originally written on December 29th, 2013. Category:2013 Reviews